8 Ufe 4· f Tbe Parable of the Ten P irgin;, I velfel, which others have, when nor only a mans aets grow IYorfe? but rh~ \'ery fpwr of a man degenerates; when nor only the leaves of rhe Vme fall bur rhe Vine ir felf growerh degenerate, and hence cominuerh fo ; this is a for~ e\'i- 1 dence of a wofulltate,Jer.2.20,2J.When the yokfw.u upon rh; ncclz., thou f"idjl, I Thou wocdc/ft not tranfg;efJ; hut the Lord. hat~ brok§n th! ba_nd~; and now thou j art becom' a flrange Vme: Remember, 1t Will be an heavy 111dletiUenr,aoain(l ! thee, to be good in Mefhec/z., bm bafe in Sion; eo be then worlt whe~ the l ~~~ I tlfe 3· Hencefeeonereafonwhythelord purfuerhmanya Soul with inward terrors and outward forrows. Thofe that are faH afleep, becaufe fofr fpeechs cannot awaken them, hence we lay our hands upon them, and famerimes knock rhem, becaufe rhisis the way to awaken them, and then they hear; fo the Word and Spirit fpeak to a man, bur fuch fofr fiill winds rock them afieep rather than awaken them; hence rhe Lord layerh his iron hands upon a man, and knocks by blows, and now when affii.:tion is upon yoa, now you can hear; When as the winds and water were ready eo tear rhe fl1ip in pieces, now they enquire,. Why were they fent? And the lot fell upon Jonah, who was then !leeping ; iris eafie to awaken out of natural !leep, bur very hard our of fpiritual fecurity : All rhe terrors of God on Jondh within and without are little enough; but at la!t he could hear, and run on his errand. 'Pfal.jo.6,7. Why did God hide his face from 'David? he [aid in profferit; he fhould not he moved ; this was the reafon of it ; the Lord fees you have need of ir ; feldom ihall one fee an awakening ChritHan without inward temptations and terrors, or ourward forr01vs: Oh confider rhen if the Lord do meet with rhee ! confider thy own fecurity rhou halt been in, or arc apt ro fall into ! This is the fin you mu!t enquire after and finde out; and do not account it hard, though Ion", though bitter; for never greater miferythan for the Lord ro fay Sleep on; ir i~ one of rhe beavie(t Judgements, forthe Lord ro let a man go on in a fecure condition without blows; mark therefore unto the end of rhofe blows, to , be tliroughly awakend by th~m : F?r fometimes when the Lord fends them, a man (if they be not very b1tr~r, 1f he ~ath ~ny reil:) lays them nor to heart, Ifa.42.25. Fire burntabout h1m; andmthlsCounrry I know notwharcurfe befalls men ; peace makes men fecure, and forrow makes men difconrented, and funk, and difcouraged, which may be for a fit in a Saint ; bur to continue fo this is that Ahab: Oh when as thou feele(t rhe blow, look no\v rhat thou dolt awaken, and be thankfull for ifi, thar you mer wirh that you did never reckon upon, vi:t., to.be frighted out of fecurity thereby. SECT. VI. Of Exhor- r 0 watch over one anorher, by e.\'hurtinu one another JP!Ji(e it tarion, uca/led to da,,Heb.j.q. Let both the WatchmenandMembers of Churches do this; for this is one means appointed by the Lord ro prefervethe fou!from fleeping, I The[.p,5,6. Exhortine: one another; as it is in Cities, when the Watch is aptto!leep, they haveth~ir companies that are paf· fing up and down the walls the .greatel! parr of rhe night, and fo they are kept waking ; and we ihall finde, rha.t as ir is in a Town where men are all a- !leep, one Bell-man, one-waking C.nri[lian will keep li~.e, and fpirit, and the ./ power of godlinefs in many; and when he !leeos, all are faft. Nothing in rhe world brings fecurity fooner upon men than fleepy company : Officers of Churches watch nor over members, norrhey one over another, exhorting and ---~-
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